how much a little color added to the festive spirit.
Mary Finefeather, a foster grandmother to many of the village kids, delivered sandwiches to Caroline and Tanana. Typical of the old woman’s personality, Mary spoke in choppy one-word sentences.
“Eat,” she said with a grin.
“I think that’s an order,” Caroline commented, and looked at Tanana, who smiled in reply. The younger woman had lost much of her shyness now, and Caroline considered her a valued friend.
“What are you getting Paul for Christmas?” Tanana asked, studying Caroline.
“I…don’t know. I gave him the sweater last night.” She wished she hadn’t; with the holidays fast approaching, she had wasted her best gift—seemingly for naught.
“I know what he wants.”
“You do?”
Tanana placed her hand on her swollen abdomen and stared at her stomach. “He wants a son.”
Caroline nearly swallowed her sandwich whole. “Oh?”
“You’ll give him fine sons? And daughters?”
Embarrassed, Caroline looked away. “Someday.”
“Soon?”
“I…I don’t know.” Caroline couldn’t very well announce that she and Paul had never made love, at least not that she could remember.
Caroline worked for part of the afternoon, then returned to the cabin, frustrated and tired. She’d slept poorly, and tonight would be another late night. Before she could talk herself out of the idea, she climbed onto the bed and closed her eyes, intending to rest for only a few minutes.
Paul found her there an hour later, barely visible in the soft light of dusk. He paused in the doorway of their bedroom and experienced such a wave of desire that he sucked in a tight breath. Her blouse had ridden up to expose the creamy smooth skin of her midriff. Blood pounded in his head and his feet seemed to move of their own accord, taking him to her side.
His gaze lingered on the smooth slant of her brow and a smile briefly touched his face. She could make a clearer statement with an arch of her eyebrow than some women said in twenty years. Her nose was perfect and her sweet, firm lips were enough to drive a man insane. He thought about the last time they’d kissed and how, for hours afterward, he’d been in a foul mood, barking at Walter and the others until Walter had suggested that Paul do something to cure whatever was ailing him.
Caroline was ailing him. He wanted to touch her, to—
Caroline yawned and rolled over.
Paul jumped away from her as though he’d been caught doing something wrong. His knees felt like slush in a spring thaw. On unsteady feet, he walked over to the dresser.
“Caroline, it’s time to get up.” He hardly recognized the strained, harsh voice as his own.
Slowly she opened her eyes. She’d been having the most wonderful dream about giving Paul the child Tanana claimed he wanted so badly. One look at her husband, who stood stiffly on the other side of the room, was enough to return her to the cold world of reality. His back was to her.
“Hi,” she said, stretching her hands high above her head and yawning loudly.
“Hi,” he said gruffly. He didn’t dare turn around. If her midriff had been showing before, he could only imagine what he’d glimpse now. He felt himself go weak all over again.
Caroline frowned at his abruptness. “Did you have a good day?”
“Sure.” He pulled open the top drawer and took out a clean T-shirt. “You’d better get dressed or we’ll be late for the party.”
“What time is it?”
“Five.”
Caroline’s frown deepened. No one was expected before seven. “We’ve got plenty of time.”
No, we don’t,
Paul wanted to shout. He, for one, was at the end of his rope.
“Paul, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He slammed the drawer shut with unnecessary force. “I just happen to think it’s time you got out of bed.”
“Are you angry because I took a nap?”
“No,” he snapped.
She rose to a sitting position and released a long sigh. “Sometimes I don’t understand
Mary Finefeather, a foster grandmother to many of the village kids, delivered sandwiches to Caroline and Tanana. Typical of the old woman’s personality, Mary spoke in choppy one-word sentences.
“Eat,” she said with a grin.
“I think that’s an order,” Caroline commented, and looked at Tanana, who smiled in reply. The younger woman had lost much of her shyness now, and Caroline considered her a valued friend.
“What are you getting Paul for Christmas?” Tanana asked, studying Caroline.
“I…don’t know. I gave him the sweater last night.” She wished she hadn’t; with the holidays fast approaching, she had wasted her best gift—seemingly for naught.
“I know what he wants.”
“You do?”
Tanana placed her hand on her swollen abdomen and stared at her stomach. “He wants a son.”
Caroline nearly swallowed her sandwich whole. “Oh?”
“You’ll give him fine sons? And daughters?”
Embarrassed, Caroline looked away. “Someday.”
“Soon?”
“I…I don’t know.” Caroline couldn’t very well announce that she and Paul had never made love, at least not that she could remember.
Caroline worked for part of the afternoon, then returned to the cabin, frustrated and tired. She’d slept poorly, and tonight would be another late night. Before she could talk herself out of the idea, she climbed onto the bed and closed her eyes, intending to rest for only a few minutes.
Paul found her there an hour later, barely visible in the soft light of dusk. He paused in the doorway of their bedroom and experienced such a wave of desire that he sucked in a tight breath. Her blouse had ridden up to expose the creamy smooth skin of her midriff. Blood pounded in his head and his feet seemed to move of their own accord, taking him to her side.
His gaze lingered on the smooth slant of her brow and a smile briefly touched his face. She could make a clearer statement with an arch of her eyebrow than some women said in twenty years. Her nose was perfect and her sweet, firm lips were enough to drive a man insane. He thought about the last time they’d kissed and how, for hours afterward, he’d been in a foul mood, barking at Walter and the others until Walter had suggested that Paul do something to cure whatever was ailing him.
Caroline was ailing him. He wanted to touch her, to—
Caroline yawned and rolled over.
Paul jumped away from her as though he’d been caught doing something wrong. His knees felt like slush in a spring thaw. On unsteady feet, he walked over to the dresser.
“Caroline, it’s time to get up.” He hardly recognized the strained, harsh voice as his own.
Slowly she opened her eyes. She’d been having the most wonderful dream about giving Paul the child Tanana claimed he wanted so badly. One look at her husband, who stood stiffly on the other side of the room, was enough to return her to the cold world of reality. His back was to her.
“Hi,” she said, stretching her hands high above her head and yawning loudly.
“Hi,” he said gruffly. He didn’t dare turn around. If her midriff had been showing before, he could only imagine what he’d glimpse now. He felt himself go weak all over again.
Caroline frowned at his abruptness. “Did you have a good day?”
“Sure.” He pulled open the top drawer and took out a clean T-shirt. “You’d better get dressed or we’ll be late for the party.”
“What time is it?”
“Five.”
Caroline’s frown deepened. No one was expected before seven. “We’ve got plenty of time.”
No, we don’t,
Paul wanted to shout. He, for one, was at the end of his rope.
“Paul, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He slammed the drawer shut with unnecessary force. “I just happen to think it’s time you got out of bed.”
“Are you angry because I took a nap?”
“No,” he snapped.
She rose to a sitting position and released a long sigh. “Sometimes I don’t understand
Similar Books
